The Dramatic Vision Overview
Most of you have an intimate knowledge of drama in the form of tragedies -- you’ve studied Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, The Theban plays, etc. during Freshman and Sophomore years. Therefore, we will need only a brief review regarding the nature of the tragic form. However, I suspect that most of you will need an in-depth refresher regarding writing about drama, and you will be especially confused regarding how to approach writing about comedic drama. This unit is designed to address those issues; depending on the class needs, we may revise or expand the focus set forth below.


Week of _
The Dramatic Vision Overview p. 1223-1236
Writing About Elements of Drama p. 1277
Special Topics for Writing/Argument in Drama p. 1284


Week of _Tragedy
The Origins of Tragedy: p. 1287
Writing About Tragedy: p. 1523
An Essay About A Problem: p. 1524
Sample Student Essays: p. 1527; 1531


Weeks of
The Crucible Arthur Miller
Handout Regarding “Why I Wrote The Crucible” and McCarthy Hearings
Several Mad 15s regarding Symbolism, Characterization
Review Graphic Organizer
Mad 40 (Q3 Style)
Quizlet Vocabulary


Weeks of _
//Death of A Salesman// Arthur Miller
Handout Regarding “The American Dream”
Handout Regarding the use of time in fiction
Several Mad 15s regarding manipulation of time, minor characters
Quizlet Vocabulary


Week of _
The Comic Vision in Drama
Origins of Comedy: p. 1535
Comic Patterns, Characters, and Language: p. 1538
Types of Comedy: p. 1540
The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde
Mad 40 regarding comedic technique


Outside Reading: Macbeth
Quizlet Vocabulary
Due January ; Mad 40 (Q3 Style)